Also found at the Delhi airport is a Mercedes-Benz Atego. On it is mounted a turntable ladder bucket crane. Says Raghunandan Jagdish of Nandan Ground Support Equipment Ltd, “We understand the customer needs and provide a solution.” Specialising in the manufacture of aerial lift platforms (bucket lifts) and other special application trucks, Nandan Ground Support Equipment Ltd. pioneered the concept of mobile advertisement platforms. “From an outdoor advertising platform truck, scissor lift mounted sky chef to a scissor lift mounted platform that is used to service or replace ventilation equipment, bulbs, etc., in a tunnel, we make a variety of special application trucks. Most are based on a 16-tonne to 25-tonne chassis,” adds Raghunandan. Truck chassis is procured, and as per the requirements, the trucks may be fitted with an automatic transmission or such other special equipment. “For safety of operation, auto transmission is a mandated standard globally,” states Raghunandan while describing ‘airport’ trucks. Raghunandan adds, “We have known of our scissor lifts being in use for 30 years. It were removed from the old chassis and fitted to a new, less emitting chassis.” Nandan GSE Pvt. Ltd., which is also headed by Raghunandan Jagdish, unveiled the world’s largest hi-lift under order from the Ambassador’s Sky Chef for their operations in Delhi recently. Christened as Catering Titan, it is built on a design under license from Byron Aviation, Australia, on an Eicher 30.25 chassis. The hi-lift has been retrofitted with Allison Automatic Transmission and the rear body is cooled using Carrier Supra refrigeration unit that gets the temperature down to zero-degrees under 15 minutes to maintain the strictest HACCP standards for hygiene. The unit can be used to a platform height of 8300 mm and the entire van body can traverse forward up to 4000 mm. There is a uniquely designed platform that helps open up to 3500 mm from 2500 mm.

One of the important commercial vehicles that ply at the airport is a refuelling truck. Most are built on a Ashok Leyland, Tata, Eicher or Volvo chassis. Engineered to get the right balance between vehicle capacity, flow rate, and fuelling unit configuration, the longer ones are termed as tank trailers. According to the Volvo Eicher spokesperson, special application trucks such as petroleum, oil or lubricant platforms are fitted with aggregates such as ABS, bi-polar electrical wiring harness, battery-cut off switch to enhance operational and on-road safety. Depending on the applications, trucks are required to adhere to mining, CMVR. CCoE regulations, he adds. To ensure safety and avoid any untoward incident, hydrant dispensers play a vital role too. They are designed for airports, and have a hydrant system mounted on a truck (Tata 907 for example). Purpose built by a specialist like Titan Antony, such applications have high flow rates of up to 250 cubic metre per hour.

Those distinct looking buses at many airports in the country are the low-floor Cobus 3000 airport transfer coaches. Wiesbaden-based Contrac Cobus manufactures them. Capable of accommodating up to 112 people, Cobus 3000 is aluminum bodied and based on a Mercedes-Benz BF 30 platform. Powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM 904 LA engine and an Allison automatic transmission, Cobus 3000 is equipped with pneumatic ‘kneeling’ system. The bus measures 14 m in length, and has 14 seats. The rest of the space is earmarked for standees.

Construction & Mining application CV

Move over to the hardy world of construction and infrastructure project sites, and mines, and special application trucks like mining tippers and coal tippers come to mind. The Fuso FJ2528C 6×4 concrete mixer truck for example. Built by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles at Chennai, some 450 trucks were exported to Thailand with a Schwing Stetter concrete mixer as part of the company’s ambitious plan to export world-class trucks from India. The Fuso FJ2528C concrete mixer is finding use in Thailand’s construction equipment industry. While the BharatBenz 3143 deep mining tipper will replace the imported Actros deep mining tipper in the Indian market, the 3143 platform has also sprung a coal tipper with a 32 cubic m. coal body. The 8×4 coal tipper has a 6105 mm wheelbase and is powered by the OM457 315 kW 12-litre engine and a G330 AMT transmission. Having a full length sub-frame that is fixed to the chassis to provide flexibility in the front and extra rigidity at the rear, the 3143 coal tipper is not the only one of its kind. AMW too offers a coal tipper in the form of 3118. Worth mentioning is yet another special application truck from AMW – the 2516 transit mixer. It is a common site at most construction projects in India. May it be the highest tower that is coming up in Mumbai or a highway project, the 2516 is present. A common site is the MAN CLA 8 cubic m. transit mixer too. Not to leave out the Tata LPT 2516, Ashok Leyland 2516 and Mahindra Torro 25 transit mixers. According to the Volvo Eicher spokesperson, tippers, concrete mixers contributed 15 to 20 per cent to the company’s truck volumes for this YTD.

Delving upon special application CVs, Volvo Eicher spokesperson stressed upon user and segment requirements, road and load conditions, etc. These are unique and require special design, development and regulatory approvals, he says. Coal, construction and mining tippers tippers, transit mixers are required to handle rough terrains apart from having to deliver superior mileage and clock maximum uptime. Urbanisation, changing demographics, upcoming economic reforms, infra development projects in the form of smart cities, industrial corridors, modernisation of ports and initiatives like ‘Bharat Nirman’ are expected to provide significant impetus to special application trucks. Mentioned Volvo Eicher spokesperson, that ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government will push the level of indigenisation in defence vehicles higher. It will also provide the needed thrust for local manufacture of defence vehicles.

Defence application

Tata Motors has bagged an order for 1239 6×6 trucks for ‘material handling cranes’, which are used for the loading, unloading and transportation of ammunition pallets, spares and other operational equipment. Beginning with a government policy in 2006, which aimed at cutting down the purchase of imported defence equipment from 65 per cent to 30 per cent, coupled with the need for the defence forces to modernise their equipment, Indian commercial vehicle manufacturers are expected to find new opportunities in the area of defence. Says Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director – Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, “Make in India is really applicable in defence vehicles.” He adds that his company wants to export more defence vehicles.” An interesting arrangement in case of addressing some of the defence sector needs is the pact CV makers like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland have with the Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur (JVF). Tata Motors is supplying 2,500 kits per year to the VFJ to build the LPTA715 4×4. The Ashok Leyland Stallion is also assembled by the VFJ under the aegis of Ordinance Factories Board. Ashok Leyland is known to supply the kit for these trucks.